Acts 12; Joshua 15; Joshua 16; Joshua 17; Job 28

Acts 12

1 About that time King Herod cruelly attacked some who belonged to the church,

2 and he killed James, John's brother, with the sword.

3 When he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter too, during the days of Unleavened Bread.

4 After the arrest, he put him in prison and assigned four squads of four soldiers each to guard him, intending to bring him out to the people after the Passover.

5 So Peter was kept in prison, but prayer was being made earnestly to God for him by the church.

6 On the night before Herod was to bring him out [for execution], Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, while the sentries in front of the door guarded the prison.

7 Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared, and a light shone in the cell. Striking Peter on the side, he woke him up and said, "Quick, get up!" Then the chains fell off his wrists.

8 "Get dressed," the angel told him, "and put on your sandals." And he did so. "Wrap your cloak around you," he told him, "and follow me."

9 So he went out and followed, and he did not know that what took place through the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision.

10 After they passed the first and second guard posts, they came to the iron gate that leads into the city, which opened to them by itself. They went outside and passed one street, and immediately the angel left him.

11 Then Peter came to himself and said, "Now I know for certain that the Lord has sent His angel and rescued me from Herod's grasp and from all that the Jewish people expected."

12 When he realized this, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John Mark, where many had assembled and were praying.

13 He knocked at the door in the gateway, and a servant named Rhoda came to answer.

14 She recognized Peter's voice, and because of her joy she did not open the gate, but ran in and announced that Peter was standing at the gateway.

15 "You're crazy!" they told her. But she kept insisting that it was true. Then they said, "It's his angel!"

16 Peter, however, kept on knocking, and when they opened the door and saw him, they were astounded.

17 Motioning to them with his hand to be silent, he explained to them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. "Report these things to James and the brothers," he said. Then he departed and went to a different place.

18 At daylight, there was a great commotion among the soldiers as to what could have become of Peter.

19 After Herod had searched and did not find him, he interrogated the guards and ordered their execution. Then Herod went down from Judea to Caesarea and stayed there.

20 He had been very angry with the Tyrians and Sidonians. Together they presented themselves before him, and having won over Blastus, who was in charge of the king's bedroom, they asked for peace, because their country was supplied with food from the king's country.

21 So on an appointed day, dressed in royal robes and seated on the throne, Herod delivered a public address to them.

22 The populace began to shout, "It's the voice of a god and not of a man!"

23 At once an angel of the Lord struck him because he did not give the glory to God, and he became infected with worms and died.

24 Then God's message flourished and multiplied.

25 And Barnabas and Saul returned to Jerusalem after they had completed their relief mission, on which they took John Mark.

Joshua 15

1 Now the allotment for the tribe of the descendants of Judah by their clans was in the southernmost region, south of the wilderness of Zin to the border of Edom.

2 Their southern border began at the tip of the Dead Sea on the south bay

3 and went south of the ascent of Akrabbim, proceeded to Zin, ascended to the south of Kadesh-barnea, passed Hezron, ascended to Addar, and turned to Karka.

4 It proceeded to Azmon and to the Brook of Egypt and so the border ended at the Mediterranean Sea. This is your southern border.

5 Now the eastern border was along the Dead Sea to the mouth of the Jordan. The border on the north side was from the bay of the sea at the mouth of the Jordan.

6 It ascended to Beth-hoglah, proceeded north of Beth-arabah, and ascended to the stone of Bohan son of Reuben.

7 Then the border ascended to Debir from the Valley of Achor, turning north to the Gilgal that is opposite the ascent of Adummim, which is south of the ravine. The border proceeded to the waters of En-shemesh and ended at En-rogel.

8 From there the border ascended the Valley of Hinnom to the southern Jebusite slope (that is, Jerusalem) and ascended to the top of the hill that faces the Valley of Hinnom on the west, at the northern end of the Valley of Rephaim.

9 From the top of the hill the border curved to the spring of the Waters of Nephtoah, went to the cities of Mount Ephron, and then curved to Baalah (that is, Kiriath-jearim).

10 The border turned westward from Baalah to Mount Seir, went to the northern slope of Mount Jearim (that is, Chesalon), descended to Beth-shemesh, and proceeded to Timnah.

11 Then the border reached to the slope north of Ekron, curved to Shikkeron, proceeded to Mount Baalah, went to Jabneel, and ended at the Mediterranean Sea.

12 Now the western border was the coastline of the Mediterranean Sea. This was the boundary of the descendants of Judah around their clans.

13 He gave Caleb son of Jephunneh [the following] portion among the descendants of Judah based on the Lord's instruction to Joshua: Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron; Arba was the father of Anak).

14 Caleb drove out from there the three sons of Anak: Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai, descendants of Anak.

15 From there he marched against the inhabitants of Debir whose name used to be Kiriath-sepher,

16 and Caleb said, "I will give my daughter Achsah as a wife to the one who strikes down and captures Kiriath-sepher."

17 So Othniel son of Caleb's brother, Kenaz, captured it, and Caleb gave his daughter Achsah to him as a wife.

18 When she arrived, she persuaded Othniel to ask her father for a field. As she got off her donkey, Caleb asked her, "What do you want?"

19 She replied, "Give me a blessing. Since you have given me land in the Negev, give me the springs of water also." So he gave her the upper and lower springs.

20 This was the inheritance of the tribe of the descendants of Judah by their clans.

21 These were the outermost cities of the tribe of the descendants of Judah toward the border of Edom in the Negev: Kabzeel, Eder, Jagur,

22 Kinah, Dimonah, Adadah,

23 Kedesh, Hazor, Ithnan,

24 Ziph, Telem, Bealoth,

25 Hazor-hadattah, Kerioth-hezron (that is, Hazor),

26 Amam, Shema, Moladah,

27 Hazar-gaddah, Heshmon, Beth-pelet,

28 Hazar-shual, Beer-sheba, Biziothiah,

29 Baalah, Iim, Ezem,

30 Eltolad, Chesil, Hormah,

31 Ziklag, Madmannah, Sansannah,

32 Lebaoth, Shilhim, Ain, and Rimmon-29 cities in all, with their villages.

33 In the Judean foothills: Eshtaol, Zorah, Ashnah,

34 Zanoah, En-gannim, Tappuah, Enam,

35 Jarmuth, Adullam, Socoh, Azekah,

36 Shaaraim, Adithaim, Gederah, and Gederothaim-14 cities, with their villages;

37 Zenan, Hadashah, Migdal-gad,

38 Dilan, Mizpeh, Jokthe-el,

39 Lachish, Bozkath, Eglon,

40 Cabbon, Lahmam, Chitlish,

41 Gederoth, Beth-dagon, Naamah, and Makkedah-16 cities, with their villages;

42 Libnah, Ether, Ashan,

43 Iphtah, Ashnah, Nezib,

44 Keilah, Achzib, and Mareshah-nine cities, with their villages;

45 Ekron, with its towns and villages;

46 from Ekron to the sea, all [the cities] near Ashdod, with their villages;

47 Ashdod, with its towns and villages; Gaza, with its towns and villages, to the Brook of Egypt and the coastline of the Mediterranean Sea.

48 In the hill country: Shamir, Jattir, Socoh,

49 Dannah, Kiriath-sannah (that is, Debir),

50 Anab, Eshtemoh, Anim,

51 Goshen, Holon, and Giloh-11 cities, with their villages;

52 Arab, Dumah, Eshan,

53 Janim, Beth-tappuah, Aphekah,

54 Humtah, Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron), and Zior-nine cities, with their villages;

55 Maon, Carmel, Ziph, Juttah,

56 Jezreel, Jokdeam, Zanoah,

57 Kain, Gibeah, and Timnah-10 cities, with their villages;

58 Halhul, Beth-zur, Gedor,

59 Maarath, Beth-anoth, and Eltekon-six cities, with their villages;

60 Kiriath-baal (that is, Kiriath-jearim), and Rabbah-two cities, with their villages.

61 In the wilderness: Beth-arabah, Middin, Secacah,

62 Nibshan, the City of Salt, and En-gedi-six cities, with their villages.

63 But the descendants of Judah could not drive out the Jebusites who lived in Jerusalem. So the Jebusites live in Jerusalem among the descendants of Judah to this day.

Joshua 16

1 The allotment for the descendants of Joseph went from the Jordan at Jericho to the waters of Jericho on the east, through the wilderness ascending from Jericho into the hill country of Bethel.

2 From Bethel it went to Luz and proceeded to the border of the Archites by Ataroth.

3 It then descended westward to the border of the Japhletites as far as the border of lower Beth-horon, then to Gezer, and ended at the Mediterranean Sea.

4 So Ephraim and Manasseh, the sons of Joseph, received their inheritance.

5 This was the territory of the descendants of Ephraim by their clans: The border of their inheritance went from Ataroth-addar on the east of Upper Beth-horon.

6 In the north the border went westward from Michmethath; it turned eastward from Taanath-shiloh and passed it east of Janoah.

7 From Janoah it descended to Ataroth and Naarah, and then reached Jericho and went to the Jordan.

8 From Tappuah the border went westward along the Brook of Kanah and ended at the Mediterranean Sea. This was the inheritance of the tribe of the descendants of Ephraim by their clans, together with

9 the cities set apart for the descendants of Ephraim within the inheritance of the descendants of Manasseh-all these cities with their villages.

10 But, they did not drive out the Canaanites who lived in Gezer. So the Canaanites live in Ephraim to this day, but they are forced laborers.

Joshua 17

1 This was the allotment for the tribe of Manasseh as Joseph's firstborn. Gilead and Bashan came to Machir, the firstborn of Manasseh and the father of Gilead, who was a man of war.

2 So the allotment was for the rest of Manasseh's descendants by their clans, for the sons of Abiezer, Helek, Asriel, Shechem, Hepher, and Shemida. These are the male descendants of Manasseh son of Joseph, by their clans.

3 Now Zelophehad son of Hepher, son of Gilead, son of Machir, son of Manasseh, had no sons, only daughters. These are the names of his daughters: Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah.

4 They came before Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the leaders, saying, "The Lord commanded Moses to give us an inheritance among our male relatives." So they gave them an inheritance among their father's brothers, in keeping with the Lord's instruction.

5 As a result, 10 tracts fell to Manasseh, besides the land of Gilead and Bashan, which are beyond the Jordan,

6 because Manasseh's daughters received an inheritance among his sons. The land of Gilead belonged to the rest of Manasseh's sons.

7 The border of Manasseh went from Asher to Michmethath near Shechem. It then went southward toward the inhabitants of En-tappuah.

8 The region of Tappuah belonged to Manasseh, but Tappuah [itself] on Manasseh's border belonged to the descendants of Ephraim.

9 From there the border descended to the Brook of Kanah; south of the brook, cities belonged to Ephraim among Manasseh's cities. Manasseh's border was on the north side of the brook and ended at the Mediterranean Sea.

10 Ephraim's [territory] was to the south and Manasseh's to the north, with the Sea as its border. They reached Asher on the north and Issachar on the east.

11 Within Issachar and Asher, Manasseh had Beth-shean with its towns, Ibleam with its towns, and the inhabitants of Dor with its towns; the inhabitants of En-dor with its towns, the inhabitants of Taanach with its towns, and the inhabitants of Megiddo with its towns-the three [cities] of Naphath.

12 The descendants of Manasseh could not possess these cities, because the Canaanites were determined to stay in this land.

13 However, when the Israelites grew stronger, they imposed forced labor on the Canaanites but did not drive them out completely.

14 Joseph's descendants said to Joshua: "Why did you give us only one tribal allotment as an inheritance? We have many people, because the Lord has greatly blessed us."

15 "If you have so many people," Joshua replied to them, "go to the forest and clear [an area] for yourselves there in the land of the Perizzites and the Rephaim, because Ephraim's hill country is too small for you."

16 But the descendants of Joseph said, "The hill country is not enough for us, and all the Canaanites who inhabit the valley area have iron chariots, both at Beth-shean with its towns and in the Jezreel Valley."

17 So Joshua replied to Joseph's family (that is, Ephraim and Manasseh), "You have many people and great strength. You will not have just one lot,

18 because the hill country will be yours also. It is a forest; clear it and its outlying areas will be yours. You can also drive out the Canaanites, even though they have iron chariots and are strong."

Job 28

1 Surely there is a mine for silver and a place where gold is refined.

2 Iron is taken from the ground, and copper is smelted from ore.

3 A miner puts an end to the darkness; he probes the deepest recesses for ore in the gloomy darkness.

4 He cuts a shaft far from human habitation, [in places] unknown to those who walk above ground. Suspended far away from people, the miners swing back and forth.

5 Food may come from the earth, but below the surface the earth is transformed as by fire.

6 Its rocks are a source of sapphire, containing flecks of gold.

7 No bird of prey knows that path; no falcon's eye has seen it.

8 Proud beasts have never walked on it; no lion has ever prowled over it.

9 The miner strikes the flint and transforms the mountains at [their] foundations.

10 He cuts out channels in the rocks, and his eyes spot every treasure.

11 He dams up the streams from flowing so that he may bring to light what is hidden.

12 But where can wisdom be found, and where is understanding located?

13 No man can know its value, since it cannot be found in the land of the living.

14 The ocean depths say, "It's not in me," while the sea declares, "I don't have it."

15 Gold cannot be exchanged for it, and silver cannot be weighed out for its price.

16 Wisdom cannot be valued in the gold of Ophir, in precious onyx or sapphire.

17 Gold and glass do not compare with it, and articles of fine gold cannot be exchanged for it.

18 Coral and quartz are not worth mentioning. The price of wisdom is beyond pearls.

19 Topaz from Cush cannot compare with it, and it cannot be valued in pure gold.

20 Where then does wisdom come from, and where is understanding located?

21 It is hidden from the eyes of every living thing and concealed from the birds of the sky.

22 Abaddon and Death say, "We have heard news of it with our ears."

23 But God understands the way to wisdom, and He knows its location.

24 For He looks to the ends of the earth and sees everything under the heavens.

25 When God fixed the weight of the wind and limited the water by measure,

26 when He established a limit for the rain and a path for the lightning,

27 He considered wisdom and evaluated it; He established it and examined it.

28 He said to mankind, "Look! The fear of the Lord-that is wisdom, and to turn from evil is understanding."